County
Santa Clara County
This is the county layer. It is often the first stop for assessor, tax collector, recorder, court, social service, election, health, sheriff, and unincorporated-area services.
Starting point
Start with the county layer.
County offices are the usual first stop for records, taxes, courts, elections, public health, social services, sheriff services, and unincorporated-area routing.
Cities inside the county can still control city permits, local code, utilities, business licenses, and city-specific rules.
2025 population
1,914,391
Land area
1,291.084 sq mi
Water area
12.972 sq mi
Directory notes
Local layers to keep on the same page.
Property, taxes, and records
For assessed value, exemptions, ownership records, recording, and tax bills, county offices are usually the starting layer.
Unincorporated land
If an address is outside city limits, county planning, building, environmental health, fire, or public works may handle local permits and code work.
Courts, services, and alerts
Superior court, sheriff, elections, social services, emergency alerts, and health offices often start at the county level.
Practical notes
Office, map, permit, and paperwork notes for Santa Clara County
Place note · History and culture · Reviewed July 7, 2026
History Park keeps old San Jose in walking distance
History Park in Kelley Park gathers historic buildings, small museums, streetscapes, and everyday objects that help San Jose feel older than Silicon Valley.
Place note · Home and property · Reviewed July 7, 2026
Milpitas flood maps are a normal address check
Milpitas has mapped FEMA flood hazard areas, so flood information, AlertSCC, and Valley Water resources are useful address checks for residents and buyers.
Place note · Cars and driving · Reviewed July 6, 2026
San Jose VTA trips need the route and fare layer together
VTA is the main bus and light-rail layer around San Jose, with route pages, alerts, Clipper payment details, and transfer rules to check by trip.
Place note · Home and property · Reviewed July 5, 2026
Campbell building permits run through MGO Connect
Campbell uses MGO Connect for building permit applications and inspections, with checklists, property information, a permit map, and code complaint links nearby.
Place note · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 5, 2026
Gilroy permits and business licenses use different online paths
Gilroy uses GO Permit for project permits and inspections, while business licenses are handled through the city's HdL business-license service.
Place note · Cars and driving · Reviewed July 5, 2026
Palo Alto parking permits start with the district
Palo Alto has several residential parking permit districts, so residents should start with the neighborhood district before applying or changing a vehicle.
Almanac notes
Stories and local context near Santa Clara County
Place note · History and culture
Murphy Avenue shows Sunnyvale learning to linger downtown
Historic Murphy Avenue is being reshaped as a pedestrian mall after a temporary 2020 outdoor-dining closure showed how much people liked a slower downtown street.
Place note · History and culture
Sunnyvale's fruit-cocktail tower keeps the cannery years visible
The Libby Water Tower in Sunnyvale keeps a playful fruit-cocktail label in view while pointing back to the city's cannery jobs, orchards, and office-park change.
Place note · History and culture
The Triton Museum gives Santa Clara a local art room
Santa Clara's Triton Museum of Art focuses on accessible exhibitions, education, community programs, and California artists near the city's civic center.
Place note · Outdoors
McClellan Ranch gives Cupertino a quiet creekside history
McClellan Ranch Preserve is an 18-acre former horse ranch in Cupertino with a nature trail, creekside habitat, an environmental education center, and blacksmith shop history.
Place note · History and culture
The Jose Higuera Adobe gives Milpitas a foothill history stop
Jose Higuera Adobe Park connects Milpitas to Rancho Los Tularcitos, Calera Creek, old crops, cactus hedges, and a neighborhood park at the foothill edge.
Place note · History and culture
Computer History Museum turns Silicon Valley into a walkable story
Computer History Museum in Mountain View connects Silicon Valley to computing history through artifacts, exhibits, demos, software stories, and a former SGI building.
Place note · History and culture
Gilroy's garlic story grew from real farm roots
Gilroy is known for garlic because local farming, row crops, community volunteers, and the Garlic Festival turned an agricultural identity into a California food story.
Place note · History and culture
Peralta Adobe and Fallon House keep early San Jose close
The Gonzales/Peralta Adobe and Fallon House help show San Jose before cars, computers, and Silicon Valley, right near San Pedro Square.